INJURIES TO THE CHEST WALL. DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT

Up-to-date and multidisciplinary, this text brings together all of the latest research and clinical treatment strategies for the management of injuries to the chest wall and rib cage. The management of trauma to the chest wall, especially “flail chest” injuries, has been relatively stagnant for many years. Non-operative treatment has been the standard of care, and despite some advances, has reached the point where there is little new to offer a severely traumatized patient. However, recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the interest in surgical fixation of unstable chest wall injuries. Specifically, plate or intramedullary nail fixation of multiple rib fractures has rapidly become the state-of-the-art in many trauma centers, and there have multiple research papers, reviews, new fixation devices, and instructional courses at national level meetings on this topic. This book assembles a diverse group of experts in the field—orthopedic surgeons, trauma surgeons, anesthetists, basic science researchers—to produce the definitive work on this topic that will appeal to a wide variety of medical practitioners.

Feature
- A unique, comprehensive presentation of modern treatment options for injuries to the ribs and chest wall
- Includes non-operative management strategies as well as plate and intramedullary nail fixation for multiple rib fractures
- A multidisciplinary authorship ensures wide-ranging expertise.

Author
Michael D. McKee, MD, FRCSC, Professor, Division of Orthopedics, Department of Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Emil H. Schmetisch, MD, FRCSC, Professor, Division of Orthopedics, Department of Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Table of contents (16 chapter)
1.Introduction, Epidemiology, and Definition of Chest Wall Injuries
2.A Review of the Modern Literature
3.The Pathophysiology of Flail Chest Injury
4.The Current Treatment of Flail Chest Injuries
5.The Nonoperative Management of Flail Chest Injury
6.Biomechanics of Rib Fracture Fixation
7.Indications for Operative Management of Flail Chest Injuries
8.Surgical Approaches for Rib Fracture Fixation
9.Principles of Plate Fixation: Rib Fracture Applications
10.Associated Intrathoracic Injuries and Their Treatment
11.Clinical Outcomes Following Operative Fixation of Flail Chest Injury
12.Complications of Surgical Treatment and Their Management
13.Postoperative Care Including Chest Tube Management
14.Long-Term Outcome Following Flail Chest Injuries
15.Management of Associated Injuries (Clavicle and Scapula)
16.Unstable Chest Wall Injuries: Future Directions